In Venice, remodeling the inside and the outside

The new two-story-tall addition opens out to the backyard and embraces a 20-foot ficus tree in the middle of the lot. Keep clicking to see the whole transformation.

The new two-story-tall addition opens out to the backyard and embraces a 20-foot ficus tree in the middle of the lot. Keep clicking to see the whole transformation. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Viewed from the street, the new house has simple lines, echoing the proportions of the original 1947 cottage that Zubieta and Barhar bought in 1998. On the first floor on the right, you'll see tracks for a sliding window; the exterior track maximizes the size of the opening to a bedroom, allowing more light and air to enter than a traditional casement or awning window. On the left side of the house, near the hedge, is…

Viewed from the street, the new house has simple lines, echoing the proportions of the original 1947 cottage that Zubieta and Barhar bought in 1998. On the first floor on the right, you'll see tracks for a sliding window; the exterior track maximizes the size of the opening to a bedroom, allowing more light and air to enter than a traditional casement or awning window. On the left side of the house, near the hedge, is… (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times)

Carlos Zubieta and Tatiana Barhar not only added on to their 650-square-foot cottage, but they also transformed the outside spaces for true indoor-outdoor living. "We didn't need more square footage inside," Zubieta said. "We needed it outside." Full article